Republican lawmakers: LePage says 'Obama hates white people'

Maybe LePage is getting to be too 'plain spoken' for some Republicans. At an August 12 fundraiser, Gov. Paul LePage reportedly told a group of Republican lawmakers and supporters that President Barack Obama 'hates white people'.

A couple of Republican lawmakers, who preferred to remain anonymous, told newspapers that the remarks were part of a tirade against the Affordable Care Act. The event was held at the home of John and Lisa Fortier in Belgrade, and was sponsored by the Kennebec County Republican Committee, which has had its share of political problems in the last year.

The event was a chance to meet Rick Bennett, the new chair of the party, according to the advance press, and cost $50 per person to attend. Bennett confirmed that the governor made comments about Obama and race during the event, however, when quizzed on the exact statement that Obama 'hates white people', Bennett demurred. "I didn't hear that," he said.

The lawmakers who had confirmed the remarks said those sitting furthest away would have had trouble hearing the comments.

However, at least one high-profile Republican has had enough. Dean Scontras, who ran for the first district congressional seat, tweeted that LePage should resign.